


There's Nothing Between Us, Or Maybe Too Much

by AliciasClarke (fyeahgila)



Category: The Rolling Stones
Genre: Awkwardness, Friendship, Gen, Inspired by Real Events, Old Friends, Stuffed Toys, Touring
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-22 21:54:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30045318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fyeahgila/pseuds/AliciasClarke
Summary: Inspired by a picture of Mick on stage with a plush koala.
Relationships: Mick Jagger/Keith Richards
Comments: 4
Kudos: 12





	There's Nothing Between Us, Or Maybe Too Much

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys,  
> earlier I saw that pic of Mick on stage holding a plush koala. So I came up with that story and knocked it out in like 1.5h. Also inspired by Keith admitting to sleeping with stuffed animals when feeling lonely. After reading the very beautiful stories by Painted_LadyBones, I wanted to try my hand at a Gen rated story myself...hope you enjoy :)
> 
> Work title is a line from Baby Break it Down a song on Voodoo Lounge that I grew to love a lot recently because it totally sounds like Mick and Keith wrote it about their relationship at the time.

Australia, 2014

Fans had thrown various objects on stage throughout all the years. From t-shirts and bras over food to self-made signs, flowers and stuffed animals, sometimes even more obscure things. 

Sometime in the early Sixties, during a particularly dreadful show that ended in a fight and riots among the spectators after only twenty minutes, like most gigs back then, forcing them to flee the stage, people had hauled tomatoes and eggs at them. Mick still remembered because the tomato juice had ruined a brand new shirt for good. Fans were hysterical during those days. 

Nowadays, obviously everything was calmer, all well ordered and organised. However, this still didn't prevent some people from trying to toss things at them. They always encountered the wildest and most frolic fans in South America which made it a total blast playing there each time. With most of them being avid football supporters, it was the easiest thing in the world for them to turn the atmosphere in a concert venue into one appropriate for a world cup final. All this dedication had rendered them humbled and speechless countless times, even after all these years. Like this, it also was no surprise that during one of the greatest concerts ever played by any band, Brazilian fans at Copacabana beach were all beside themselves with joy and had ended up hurling diverse items at them while they were playing on a tiny moving stage. It had been one hell of an experience. 

These days, most of the time, though, it was relatively rare that any objects were tossed far enough to actually reach the stage. So it didn't happen too often that they were hit by underwear or almost stumbled over a stuffed teddy. 

However, that night, playing their show in Melbourne, someone in the audience had actually managed to throw a large plush koala with enough pep for it to land in front of Mick's feet as he was strutting around by the edge of the stage while they were playing It's Only Rock'n'Roll. 

Without further thinking about it, he leaned down to pick it up, tucking it under his left arm as he continued singing the last lines of the song and jumped back to the middle of the stage. After the last tunes had faded out, Mick put his mic back onto the stand and then took the stuffed koala, looking down at it, a grin spreading on his face. 

"Thank you for reminding us which country we're currently in. It can get a bit fuzzy playing so many shows, always waking up in other places", he joked to a cheering audience. "Some days ago we've seen some of those for real...I believe Ronnie has taken some nice pictures with them", he added in a chatty mood, remembering Ronnie holding an actual living koala in his arms. Then he motioned to one of the roadies to come and take the stuffed animal from him.

"We'll add this to our collection", Mick gagged into the mic, chuckling as the audience started clapping and screaming. "Alright...the next song's called Honky Tonk Women", he announced then, as Keith already started picking his guitar to play the intro. 

"Where did you put the koala?", Mick asked the roadie who had taken it from him after they ended the show by playing Satisfaction and left the stage after taking some bows while the sky above the stadium was being illuminated by fireworks. 

"What?", he returned, somewhat baffled, as Mick was standing there, drying his sweaty face with a towel. 

"The stuffed koala", Mick reminded him, taking some gulps of water from the plastic cup someone had handed him along with the towel as soon as he'd stepped backstage. 

"Oh right, I put it over there", the roadie said, pointing at one of the large black boxes holding some of their equipment. 

"Thanks, mate", Mick returned, already on his way to gather the plush animal. 

Just as he couldn't tell what had driven him to pick up the koala in the first place, he had no clue what possessed him while coming up with that idée fixe he was keen to pull through with now. Usually, after shows they just quickly collected their possessions from their dressing rooms before boarding the cars that would take them back to their hotel. So Mick had to act quickly, or otherwise he might not find Keith all by himself anymore. 

Fast steps lead him over to the dressing room labelled Camp X-Ray. Keith and him had been hanging out all the time before shows. Decades ago. For a very long time they hadn't really been doing this anymore. Visiting each other in their dressing rooms. Only more recently, every now and again, they had started to pick up that old habit again before shows. Mick hadn't been to Keith's dressing room after a show in ages, though. It was weird standing in front of it now, that darn plush animal tucked under his arm. He almost regretted coming there and nearly wanted to turn away, simply leave, pick up his own things and finally go to the waiting cars. 

Keith had admitted once, only begrudgingly though, after Ronnie had pulled out a stuffed dog from one of Keith's bags years ago, that he couldn't sleep very well on tour when alone in his room. Unless he had some stuffed animal with him. Mick would be lying if they hadn't all teased Keith at least a little about it at first. But actually, he thought it was rather endearing. He didn't know why he had remembered that particular quirk of Keith's earlier, or why he'd decided to spontaneously drop by and hand him that plush koala. But there he was. In his seventies, holding a stuffed animal the size of a toddler, knocking at Keith's dressing room door. 

"Yeah, yeah, I'm coming…", he heard Keith mutter from behind the door, before seconds later, it was pulled open to reveal a stunned guitar player, grey hair all tousled and with a towel around his shoulders. 

"Mick", was all Keith said, staring at him as if he was the last person on earth he'd expected to find himself opening the door to. And maybe he was, considering all the circumstances. Or maybe Keith was also just startled upon the fact that Mick was holding a stuffed animal in his arms. 

"Hi", he replied, trying a little smile to lighten the mood. 

"What are you doing?", Keith wanted to know, still with that flabbergasted expression on his face. Under different circumstances, it would have made Mick chuckle, but right now, it rather made him feel somewhat insecure. 

"I…", he started, suddenly feeling quite dumb and also embarrassed about himself. It was a valid question. What the hell was he even doing? What had he been thinking? 

"I just thought that...you uh...you might want this, maybe…", he tried to explain and almost stammered, quite uncharacteristically, since he usually was rather eloquent. To make matters worse, he could feel his cheeks flush and he quickly averted his gaze, hoping Keith didn't notice. 

"Why?", he asked, sounding surprised. 

"Because...forget it...this is ridiculous", Mick decided, starting to turn around and leave. That whole idea had been stupid and pathetic and Keith probably would only end up making fun of him and would not let him live this down for at least the reminder of the tour. It was beyond awkward. 

"Mick", Keith stopped him, however, by putting a hand out, lightly touching his upper arm. 

"I take it", he meant before Mick could say anything. 

"You...do?", now it was Mick's turn to be startled. He hadn't expected anymore for Keith's reaction to turn out like that. 

"Yeah...now give it to me already before I change my mind", Keith laughed, slightly pressing Mick's arm before holding his hand out to grab the koala. 

"Here", Mick said, a little smile tugging on his lips as Keith was accepting the toy animal almost like a peace offering. Maybe it was.

"Thanks...that's uh...nice", Keith gave back, he clearly seemed flustered. It had been a long while since Mick had experienced him like this. 

For a moment they just stood there in the doorframe of Keith's dressing room, Mick looking at Keith and Keith looking down at the plush toy in his hands. And only then did Mick understand what he'd been aiming for by coming to Keith after the show, handing him the stuffed animal. He'd been looking for a calm moment between them, alone with Keith, apart from all the daily hustle and bustle on tour. He wouldn't admit it because he didn't want to come across as pathetic. But sometimes he truly missed how things used to be between them in earlier days. He really missed his friend, he missed Keith. Giving him the stuffed koala was only a small consolation, but it was at least a start to trying and handling things differently again. He was aware that they couldn't go back to everything they once used to have. Everything that used to be between them in long forgotten days. But maybe they could try to get at least some of it back, or build something new. 

"Keith?", he meant, once he realised that this moment couldn't stretch on forever and that he couldn't drown in his own thoughts and feelings right now because they needed to get going. 

"Yeah?"

"We should hurry up or everyone will wonder where we are", he pointed out and Keith nodded. 

"Come on, then", he said, giving Mick a wide smile and patted his back as he tucked the koala under his arm, before grabbing his stuff and they finally went on their way.

**Author's Note:**

> Btw I wanted to post the next chapter of Lonely at the Top tonight but then I couldn't re-read it cause I was writing this instead 😅 so you gotta wait some more hahaha xD


End file.
